Gyratory crusher



Oct. 13, 1959 Filed Jan. 24, 1957 L R. M LEOD GYRATORY CRUSHER 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 33a, 21 m we X204,

ATTORNEYS Oct. 13, 1959 L; R. M LEoD GYRATORY CRUSHER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 24, 1957 INVENTOR BY 2M, 1% film ATTORNEYS United States Patent GYRATORY CRUSHER Lester R. MacLeod, New York, N.Y.

Application January 24,1957, Serial No. 636,018

3 Claims. (Cl. 241215) This invention relates generally to gyratory crushers, and more particularly to gyratory crushers provided with hydraulic means for adjusting the apparatus to control the particular size of product desired. The invention relates to an improvement in the apparatus disclosed in my issued US. Patent No. 2,833,486 entitled Gyratory Crusher With Hydraulic Means for Adjusting Crusher Head.

Gyratory crushers for grinding ore and the like are well known in the prior art. Such cnishers are of the type having an upright shaft to which gyratory motion is im- I parted by a rotary eccentric in which the shaft is journalled eccentrically of the axis of rotation of the eccentric. The shaft is journalled for free rotation caused by the rolling of a head, secured to the shaft, on the material being ground between the head and a stationary, inverted hollow conical bowl. As the shaft-and, hence, also the head-is driven in its eccentric path, a progressive opening and closing of the space between the head and bowl is caused. The result is a continuous crushing of the material in the bowl on the side which is closing and release of the crushed particles on the opposite side to drop down and eventually out of the bowl as the head recedes from the bowl.

Dependent upon the size of ground product desired, it is necessary to arrange thehead, and hence also the upright shaft to which it is secured, for vertical adjustment in the eccentric so as to effect a corresponding adjustment of the minimum clearance between the head and concave bowl to'produce the particular size of product desired. Moreover, when crushing very hard ores such as an iron ore material known as Taconite, wear on the'replaceable liners customarily used on the head and bowl is quite rapid and an adjustment between the head and bowl every few days to maintain a constant size of groundproduct is not at all unusual,

According to early developments in this art, adjustments 2,908,448 Patented Oct. 13, 1959 a gyratory crusher having hydraulic means for adjusting the clearance between the crushing elements to control the size of the particles to be obtained.

A further object of my invention is to provide a gyratory crusher wherein the hydraulic means for adjusting the distance between the crushing elements consists of a cylincrusher incorporating the invention, it being noted that the upper structure of the crusher in the vicinity of the top bearing for the crusher shaft is conventional and has thus been eliminated in order that the lower part of the crusher in which the present invention resides might be illustrated at a larger scale;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is also a transverse section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Referring now to Fig. 1, the gyratory crusher is seen to include an inverted hollow conical hopper or bowl 1 of the shaft were made manually. Moreover, the crusher 1 had to be stopped While the adjustment was being made which was undesirable. Later developments have made it possible to use hydraulic power means and equivalent mechanical arrangements for effecting the adjustment in height of the shaft and without having to cease operation of the crusher while the adjustment is being made. The present invention relates to an improved construction for the latter type of shaft adjusting mechanism and more particularly to one using hydraulic power, the general arrangement being such that shaft itself functions also as r the cylinder of a hydraulic motor. The novel construc tion makes it possible for vertical thrust loads to be carried down from the crusher head through the shaft and eccentric by means of standard type step bearings which can be merely flat plates or roller thrust bearings, if desired, as distinguished from spherical type thrust bearings necessary on other known constructions for hydraulically adjusted crusher shafts.

located in the upper portion of the stationary casing 2, and a gyratory member comprising an upright shaft 3 having secured thereto at its upper tapered end 3a a conical crusher head 4 which gyrates in the bowl 1. The crusher head is provided with a replaceable liner 5, known as a mantle, and the bowl 1 is also provided with a replaceable liner 6, known as a concave. These liners constitute the surfaces between which material is crushed and hence must be replaced periodically.

The lower cylindrical portion 3b of shaft 3 is journalled in a bore within a cylindrical member 7 rotatably mounted in the bearing portion 2a of the casing. This bore is eccentrically located within the cylindrical memher 7 so that the longitudinal axis of the upright shaft 3 indicated as Upright Shaft (E in the drawings, is laterally offset from and slightly inclined vertically toward the centerline of the crusher indicated as Crusher Q so that those lines intersect at a point near the upper end of shaft 3 with the result that gyratory movement of the crusher head 4 within the bowl 1 is produced. A replaceable bronze cylindrical wear liner 8a is preferably placed between the inner surface of the eccentric cylinder 7 and the vertical shaft 3, and a second cylindrical wear liner 8!) is preferably placed between the outer surface of the cylinder 7 and the inner surface of the bearing portion2a.

For lubricating the relatively rotatable cylindrical surfaces the outer surface of cylinder 7 is provided with a peripheral groove 9. Lubricating oil is fed from a supply pipe 10 to the peripheral groove by means of radial oil passageway 11.

In accordance with the invention, an improved hydraulic arrangement is utilized to raise and lower the vertical shaft 3 and hence also the conical crusher head4 and mantle 5 in relation to the concave 6 so as to adjust the minimum clearance x between the mantle and concave as the mantle gyrates about the axis of the crusher and is simultaneously rotated about its own axis by virtue of the rolling contact with the material being crushed. To this end it will be seen that the lower portion 3b of the vertical shaft 3 contains a longitudinal bore 3c therein Thus the primary object of rny invention is to provide adapted to slidably receive piston 12 which rests onstep bearing 13 suported by the baseflange 14 of the cylindri cal member 7. Piston 12 has a vertical passage 15 therethrough which provides means for introducing a hydraulic 3 lifting fluid into the piston chamber 16 between the upper surface of the piston 12 andthe adjacent parallel surface 3d of the bore 3c. The hydraulic lifting fluid is supplied from a source of fluid pressure such as apump, not shown, through a flexible conduit 17 and inlet pipe 18 containing shut-off valve 19 by which fluid flow to andf-rom the piston chamber 16 may be controlled. Thus it will be seen that piston 12 and the bore of shaft 3 constitute a hydraulic motor for vertically adjusting the shaft 3 and for controlling the minimum clearance x between the mantle and the concave. The piston 12 is provided with a plurality of sealing rings 20 to prevent leakage of the hydraulic fluid upward along the wall surface of the shaft thereby to prevent any change in a selected position of vertical adjustment of this shaft.

It will be noted that inlet pipe 18 for the hydraulic fluid is located within a cylindrical space 21 in the lower end of the casing 2 of sufficient diameter to enable this pipe to execute its eccentric movement as shaft 3 moves in its eccentric path.

To raise shaft 3 and hence also the head 4 and mantle to thereby decrease the minimum clearance between the mantle 5 and the concave 6, valve 19 is opened and more hydraulic fluid is pumped into the piston chamber 16. When the desired position for the shaft is reached, valve 19 is then closed thus locking the fluid in the cylinder. To lower the shaft and thus increase the minimum clearance between the mantle and concave, one follows the reverse procedure, opening valve 19 and permitting the fluid to flow out of the piston chamber 16 under the downward pressure of the shaft 3 until the position desired for the shaft is reached whereupon valve 19 is reclosed. These adjustments can be made without stopping the crusher.

The arrangement described makes it possible to support the shaft 3 and its associated members by means of standard type fiat step bearings as distinguished from spherical thrust bearings required for other constructions of hydraulic lifts for the crusher shaft, these bearings being necessary between the piston and the flange 14 of cylindrical member 7 because of the gyration of the piston in an eccentric path. Thus the piston transmits thrust directly to the closed bore of the shaft 3. In order to maintain close clearances between the cylinder and piston While at the same time allowing generous clearances between the shaft and the eccentric bushing, the piston is seated on the step bearing 13 which allows slight movement of the piston in a horizontal plane. The downward thrust load of the eccentric cylinder 7 is carried by a flat annular wear plate 13a.

If desired, the piston 12 may be keyed to the shaft 3 by suitable pin means 22 so that the elements rotate together as a unit and yet are vertically movable with respect to each other. Any suitable type of keying means may be utilized between the elements; the keying means may, of course, be omitted without interfering with the operation of the device.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the embodiment shown in the drawings makes it possible to maintain an optimum mesh condition between the bevel ring gear which rotates the eccentric cylinder and the bevel pinion gear which drives the ring gear. In the prior art, the ring gear is secured to or made integral with the eccentric. Consequently as wear occurs and increases the original clearance in the eccentric bushings, the ring gear is forced to move correspondingly further from its center. With accurately cut teeth, this means that the tooth pressure moves out toward one end of the tooth and ideal running conditions of the gears no longer exist. The improvement about to be described enables the ring and pinion gears to remain in perfect mesh and this desirable condition is accomplished by means of a flexible coupling between the eccentric and the ring gear.

With reference now to the lower part of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3, it will be seen that the lower end 14 of eccentric 7 is provided with an externally toothed spur gear the teeth 28 of which fit between the teeth 29 of an internally toothed spur gear formed atthe inner side of an annular bevel ring gear 30. Sufficient clearance is provided radially at the roots of the interfitted sets of teeth and circum ferentially at the sides of the two sets of teeth to permit the teeth to mesh at slightly greater depth as the bushings 8a, 3b wear. Gear 30, supported axially by an annular flat plate type thrust bearing 31 and maintained in radial alignment by a bushing sleeve 32, meshes with a bevel pinion gear 33 which is rotated by a horizontally disposed drive shaft 34. Consequently, as shaft 34 is driven, rotation of pinion gear 33 eflects rotation of ring gear 30 which, in turn, eifects rotation of eccentric 7 through the interfitting internal and external gear teeth 28, 29. Any wear in the bushings 8a, Sb associated with the eccentric 7 is thus reflected only by a change in the clearances between the gear teeth 28, 29, and the mesh between the pinion and ring gears 33, 30 remains undisturbed. It should be noted that the external gear teeth 28 do not have to be formed integrally with the eccentric 7, as shown but rather can be made as a separate external spur gear which is then secured upon the eccentric. The same alternative arrangement is likewise possible with regard to the internal gear teeth 29 in relation to the ring gear 30.

In conclusion, it will be understood that the embodiments of the invention described and illustrated herein are to be regarded as typical rather than limitative of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Consequently minor changes in the construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a gyratory crusher having a frame, a cylindrical eccentric member vertically mounted in said frame for rotation about its longitudinal axis, said member having a cylindrical recess in the upper end thereof eccentric of the longitudinal axis of the member, an upright cylindrical shaft having its lower end portion journalled in said recess, said shaft being free to rotate about its axis and being longitudinally slidable in said recess, a crusher head fixed upon said shaft intermediate its ends, a bowl secured to the frame, said bowl surrounding said head and being operatively associated therewith, the cylindrical recess in said eccentric member being oriented to cause the lower end of the upright cylindrical shaft to gyrate with respect to its upper end, means for rotating said eccentric member, and means for vertically adjusting the shaft with respect to the frame; the invention wherein said last-named means comprises a step bearing contiguously positioned on the bottom wall of the recess in the eccentric member, a vertical piston contiguously supported by said step bearing, said piston having a lower cylindrical portion of a diameter somewhat smaller than the diameter of the eccentric rccess and an upper cylindrical portion of a diameter smaller than the diameter of said piston lower portion, the lower end of the upright cylindrical shaft having a vertical cylindrical bore therein slidably receiving the upper portion of said piston, the diameter of the vertical bore in the lower end of said vertical shaft being substantially equal to the diameter of the upper portion of said piston, and means for introducing fluid under pressure into the bore of said vertical shaft above said piston whereby said shaft may be raised or lowered with respect to said eccentric member and said piston to adjust the lateral clearance between the crusher head and the bowl.

2. A crusher apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further including means connecting the piston to the upright shaft, said connecting means allowing relative vertical movement between the elements but preventing relative rotational movement therebetween.

3. In a gyratory crusher having a frame, a cylindrical eccentric member vertically mounted in said frame for rotation about its longitudinal axis, said member having a cylindrical recess in the upper end thereof eccentric of the longitudinal axis of the member, an upright cylindrical shaft having its lower end portion journalled in said recess, said shaft being free to rotate about its axis and being longitudinally slidable in said recess, a crusher head fixed upon said shaft intermediate its ends, a bowl secured to the frame, said bowl surrounding said head and being operatively associated therewith, fixed bearing means rotatably supporting the upper end of said shaft, the cylindrical recess in said eccentric member being oriented to cause the lower end of the upright cylindrical shaft to gyrate with respect to its upper end, means for rotating said eccentric member, and means for vertically adjusting the shaft with respect to the frame; the invention wherein said last-named means comprises a step bearing contiguously positioned on the bottom wall of the recess in the eccentric member, a vertical piston contiguously supported by said step bearing, said piston having an upper cylindrical portion, the lower end of the upright cylindrical shaft having a vertical cylindrical bore therein slidably receiving the upper portion of said piston, the diameter of the vertical bore in the lower end of said vertical shaft being substantially equal to the diameter of the upper portion of said piston, and means for introducing fluid under pressure into the bore of said vertical shaft above said piston whereby said shaft may be raised or lowered with respect to said eccentric member and said piston to adjust the lateral clearance between the crusher head and 10 the bowl.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 15 2,079,882 Traylor May 11, 1937 2,349,790 Johnson May 23, 1944 2,667,309 Becker Jan. 26, 1954 2,833,486 MacLeod May 6, 1958 

